There are all kinds of students. It seems like some students were made for school success. They have cracked the code of academic success, make A's and B's and live on the Honor Roll. Other students fail. Sometimes disruptive, these are the students teachers get frustrated by and worry about the most.
But what about those students that don't fall into these two easily defined categories? What about the students who never disrupt the class? They are gracious and polite, on-time and prepared. Yet, still they don't succeed. They are the "silent fails" that often slip through the cracks. What can teachers do to reach them?
Meet Chris Morales, who teaches mathematics at Lawndale High School in Calif., and listen as he speaks about the "silent fails" in his own classroom and strategies he uses to engage them.
Look For:
Go Deeper:
Teaching Methodologies – WICR [1]
WICR - or writing, inquiry, collaboration and reading - forms the foundation for the AVID Program. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is a national program that concerns itself with the academic middle to make sure they don't become "silent fails."
Reflect On:
Ready Resources:
Motivating your students [2] gives educators seven ways to inspire, challenge and stimulate students.
Consider using Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences [3] as a way to engage all learners in the classroom.
Educators for Social Responsibility [4] offer a three-day institute on Facilitating Academic Success for Reluctant, Resistant, and Failing Students [5].
Links:
[1] http://www.century.adams12.org/WICR.htm
[2] http://www.ust.hk/celt/ta/taguide/skills/motivate.htm
[3] http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/activity.jsp?ar=603
[4] http://www.esrnational.org
[5] http://www.esrnational.org/index.php?location=pages&l=hs&link=7